The State of Homelessness Criminalization in California After Grants Pass v. Johnson

Abstract

The Homelessness Service Project (“HSP”) is a student-initiated legal services project at UC Berkeley Law that works with local, community based organizations under the supervision of attorneys. This HSP report, “The State of Homelessness Criminalization in California After Grants Pass v. Johnson” documents the state’s enactment and enforcement trends of criminalization laws since the U.S Supreme Court decision Grants Pass v. Johnson. 

The research team extensively reviewed municipal ordinances and county-level legislation across California and analyzed how jurisdictions are responding, including enactment and enforcement trends, in the year after Grants Pass. The project aims to center the humanity of unhoused individuals impacted by these policies and concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at decriminalization, expanding permanent housing access, and advancing community-driven solutions that recognize the dignity and rights of all Californians.

Keywords: Homelessness, Unhoused, Homeless advocacy, Human Rights, Civil Rights, Criminalization of homelessness, Decriminalization, Criminal legal system, Policy, Legislation, California, Grants Pass v. Johnson